Somewhere Over the Bookshelf
by pIcKinGBloOdyrOSes
Summary: Let take a trip to the library, shall we? I think we'll all be very interested to see our favorite characters in worlds apart from their own... worlds that WE might find strangely familiar. USUK centric short stories, AU, rated K - M.
1. The Maximum Ride: T

_A/N: Hello~! So, I really should be updating "The Magician's Hero" and "You Know How I Feel" but this has been in my head for a really long time, and once the idea finally settled down, I was like "IT MUST BE DOOONE!" So, the point of these one-shots, and maybe two-shots, it taking the BEST pairing from Hetalia, USUK, and putting them in pre-made universes. Sort of like a cross-over, but there won't be any of the author's characters. Think of it as an author's setting, but with Hetalia characters inside of it. The story will happen IN the universe but it won't follow the plot of the book. So yeah! Most of them will be VERY easy to understand, even if you have never read the original book._

_I have a huge list of books, movies, anime, and TV show settings already, so be prepared!_

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**Title: "Maximum Ride" by James Patterson**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary: Alfred and Arthur are genetically enhanced mutants on the run.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia OR the Maximum Ride series. I do own the plot.**

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**The Maximum Ride**

The mountain air was the freshest oxygen Arthur had ever breathed in.

It was crisp and cool and sharp, almost as if he was breathing in a sheet of glass, and the wind swirling around him caressed his bruised skin as if he were being softly touched by a friendly hand. It swept through his hair and made a lasting impression on his scalp, the cold stroke taking away the pounding in his head and allowing him to take in a deep breath of that wonderful air. He wrapped his skinny arms around himself and took a step forward, the ground under his bare feet rocky and hard, scraping the sensitive pads of his heels and toes.

Standing on a mountain was something Arthur had never imagined himself ever doing. He often dreamed of it, of looking out into the endless, pale blue sky dotted with wisps of white clouds, of feeling the sun shine on his pale skin. He would always feel a pang of longing in those dreams, knowing that that was all it ever was- a dream. But now Arthur really was standing of the rocky ledge of a mountain, and it was beautiful and better then he had ever thought it would be.

Spread out below him was a glorious valley, a canvas of greens and browns surrounding the expanse of a crystal lake, smooth as glass and reflecting like a mirror that amazing, never-ending sky. The sunlight sparkled off of the rounded expanse of water, bouncing and sending countless numbers of glorious beams through the air and reflecting onto the mountain face. Arthur wondered if he were to dive into that pure water if he would feel weightless, and if he would even need to resurface for air- the sky was captured so perfectly in the water, he doubted if he would need to breathe.

Above his head there was a sharp cry, and Arthur looked up as the silence was pierced. A small black dot was circling overhead, and he recognized a hawk, its movements precise and fluid as it soared lazily through the air.

A sharp pain struck a chord in his heart.

It was so... free.

Arthur felt a longing rise up in his chest and looked down, wiggling his toes over the edge of the cliff. A few pebbles clattered down, falling deep into the crevice below, so far down that he wouldn't have been able to hear the faint thud of the rock as it hit the bottom a few long moments later if his hearing hadn't been beyond that of a normal human being.

His sharp green eyes looked at the bird rising and falling in the dips and swells of the wind and felt that pressure again in his chest.

Behind him, Arthur heard a small scuffle, and he whipped around, tensing and ready to flee, but relaxed a little as he saw what it was. "You ought to be more careful."

His companion grinned sheepishly at him. Arthur felt a relieved sigh escape him as he saw that he was unharmed but for a few scrapes along his legs. Alfred was fearless and reckless, a trait that the white coats had been unsuccessful in taking from him, which could be considered either very good, or very bad.

"There's no sign of any Erasers," Alfred told him, stepping up to stand next to him at the edge of the face. "We're alone."

Arthur nodded and glanced at him, his heart thudding rapidly, faster than even his normally fast-beating hearts usual pace. Alfred was larger than him, still skinny, but had strong, lean muscles compared to Arthur's wiry limbs. He was taller, broader in the chest, his skin darker from spending so much time outside, his hair a soft caramel color. "That is good."

Alfred looked at him then, his eyes the exact color of the blue sky. "... Are you ready?"

"No," Arthur said truthfully, gazing into those eyes. "I am scared."

The larger boy nodded in understanding, his dark lashes casting shadows across his cheekbones. "I'm pretty freaked out too. It's okay."

How many times had Alfred reassured him before? Arthur had lost count, because it was hard, terrible to remember the times before the smiling boy had been dumped carelessly into the cage next to him. He didn't like thinking of the countless number of hours and days and months in which he had been completely alone, pressed against the freezing metal bars of his containment while he stared at his own hands, shivering and whimpering and eating from the white coats hands like some animal.

_Arthur did not look up from his fingers as the cage next to him was opened and something was shoved inside. Many mutants came and went... he listened to their cries and their screams until they could cry and scream no more. Sometimes they would stay like that until a white coat came and got them again, and then Arthur would never see them again, but sometimes they would stop moving entirely, and then Arthur would know that they had died, and he would feel the cold body in the cage next to him until a white coat came and disposed of it._

_This mutant sat up the moment the white coats left, too tall to avoid being hunched over in the cage. It looked around, and in the tiny light coming from under the metal door to the room, Arthur saw that it had the most brilliant blue eyes he'd ever seen._

_And then Arthur went back to staring at his hands._

_"Hey, you!"_

_At which Arthur looked up again, surprised. Almost no mutants could speak- only the ones who'd been around long enough to learn._

_"Do ya have a name? Can ya talk? Or are you just a vegetable?"_

_Arthur ignored it. The very rare, talkative ones didn't make it very far. The white coats didn't like mutants who were too loud._

_"Helloooo?" The mutant shuffled around, turning so Arthur could see a perfectly normal, though skinny and slightly malnourished, boy staring at him, a disappointed look on his face. "C'mon, you don't _look _like a vegetable... you gotta know SOME type of language."_

_Arthur very purposefully turned away._

_"Oh, so you CAN understand me!" The mutant beamed and Arthur realized it must be very dumb. "Great! Well, my name is something like USA-8459 according to them, but I call myself Alfred."_

_"Why?"_

_'Alfred' looked surprised that he had gotten an answer, but grinned. "Why Alfred? Well, there was this one guy who came and helped me out once, ya know? He was awesome, totally. He always brought me food and stuff to do and once he even took me outside... well, his name was Alfred. So when he had to leave, I decided to call myself that after him! And-"_

_"I meant, why do you speak?" Arthur glared at him. "There is no point. The more you talk, the more they will harm you. Do you wish to die?"_

_"I speak because I've got the right to!" Alfred told him. "That's what Alfred always told me. Just because of the crap we've got to go through, I have the right to be treated like a person. I can take whatever they throw at me, because I know that one day, justice is gonna get these guys so hard and I'm just gonna stand back and laugh. I'm not afraid to die, but I'm not gonna give up. Not like you seem to have."_

That was what struck Arthur most about Alfred. He didn't give up. When the white coats came and gave them their food, Alfred refused to give them the satisfaction of eating it like a dog, gobbling it up eagerly while they watched, and instead asked them every time for a eating utensil. This puzzled the white coats and the more brutal ones kicked him for it, but even though he never got something to eat it with, Alfred waited until they were gone, and then carefully ate his food with his fingers.

Every so often, Alfred was taken away, and Arthur would find himself worrying that the high-spirited mutant wouldn't ever come back, but he always did, even though sometimes it was worse for wear.

_Arthur could smell the blood on Alfred and couldn't help but press against the bars of his cage for a look as two white coats came in, supporting the mutant in between them until they laid him down in his own crate, slamming the door shut behind him and leaving with muttered words and whispers._

_"... Alfred?" Arthur whispered. He only sometimes spoke to the other mutant, usually opting to simply listen to him speak. "Alfred?"_

_"Howdy..." Alfred groaned and sat up a bit, rolling so he could see Arthur. "How're you?"_

_The mutant's tone was laced with pain, but his eyes still sparkled defiantly. Arthur saw that the loose gray shirt Alfred was wearing was dark scarlet over his ribs and that scratches and bruises covered his face. "W-What did they do to you?"_

_"They're training a new batch of Erasers again," Alfred said, pressed a hand against his side to stop the bleeding. "Ow... and as per usual, I'm the bait..."_

_"Erasers?" Arthur blinked. "What are those?"_

_Alfred looked at him in surprise. "I guess you wouldn't know... you've never been outside the School, have you?"_

_Arthur shook his head._

_"Well, mutants like us escape sometimes, you know," Alfred's voice took on a tone of longing. "But of course, the white coats can't have a kid with gills running around in public. So they have these creatures called Erasers to catch them... or kill them, depending on the orders. Erasers are men and woman looking like humans, but they turn into these wolfman things with teeth and claws and fur... they're bloodthirsty and nasty and have a real bad temper, but they're also real dumb. They make a new batch of 'em every now and then, and they use me to train them."_

_"To... train them? Why?"_

_"I've been outside the School, you know," Alfred scooted forward, lying down, but so he could still fix Arthur with those blue eyes of his. "It's amazing. The white coat I told you about...? The first Alfred? He helped me escape. I lived with him for a while and he taught me all sorts of things... how to read and write and fight... but the Erasers got him and they got me too..." the blonde swallowed thickly. "The name he gave me was 'America', like the country, you know? Because I represented freedom to him... but the Erasers killed him right before my eyes. It was awful, and they took me to a lab, some sort of smaller School... I dunno, I guess they thought I was special or something because I was smart, but I kept trying to escape... so they decided to use me as training material."_

_"... So now you are Alfred," Arthur said slowly._

_"Yeah," Alfred closed his eyes, smiling a little. "And I'm gonna get outta here one day."_

_"My name is UK-2654," Arthur said. "But I call myself Arthur."_

_"Nice to know your name, Arthur," Alfred responded after a moment. "Why did you chose it?"_

_"I was read to when I was small by a white coat," Arthur looked at his hands again. "She read me the King Arthur legends. I wanted to be like him."_

_"That's a great name," Alfred opened his eyes and looked at him for a long time. "I think that if more people like us named themselves, we'd be a lot better off. It gives us an identity. Not just a number, you know? Kinda... hopeful."_

And from that moment on, Alfred and Arthur talked. Arthur told Alfred the stories of King Arthur, reciting them from memory, and Alfred told Arthur all about the world outside the School, to which he listened to with a fascinated air. Arthur knew very little of the outside world, only ever seeing brief pictures or hearing white coats discussing it. Every now and then Alfred would leave again, used for training these 'Erasers' which seemed to take a new chunk out of him every time. The mutant's skin, so much more thick and dark then Arthur's, was covered in white, older scars, along with raw, pink ones. But he never gave up. Not once.

_"We have to escape, Arthur..." Alfred's voice was weak, and Arthur squeezed his fingers through the bars of the cage, the only part of him he could reach. "They're not gonna need me anymore... they need a stronger mutant to train them..."_

_"Shh..." Arthur stroked Alfred's bruised and bleeding knuckles with his thumb. "Do not worry about that now. Just focus on getting better."_

_"I can't get better, Arthur," Alfred sighed, his breath rattling in his chest. "Not as long as we're here. Will you... will you come with me? If we can get out somehow?"_

_Arthur hesitated. This place... the School, the cage, the terrible food, the horrifying treatment... it was all he'd ever known. He had never seen the sun in person, never breathed air that wasn't laced with chemicals. As terrible as this life was, as horrible and awful and stinking as it was, he was scared- no, terrified of leaving._

_"Think about it?" Alfred asked, his voice trailing off as unconsciousness claimed him. "Please...?"_

Arthur did think about it. He thought about it for what felt like a long, long time until the day the white coats came for him.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Arthur struggled against the cold, metal restraints holding his wrists and his ankles to the long, metal table. They had taken the normal dirty shirt and pants away, leaving him completely naked and vulnerable, his back arching off of the table as he pulled and pushed in vain against his hold. Machines and lights and sounds that he didn't understand were positioned all around him, and he could only see them, and the sharp white lights above him, shining into his sensitive eyes._

_He heard a door opening and closing, the sound of rustling clothes and the snap of plastic gloves against skin. There were no voices._

_"W-What are you going to do to me...?" Arthur's voice trembled and he struggled to make it strong, to sound like Alfred. "Talk to me, please..."_

_There was nothing, and panic seized his throat and he heard the beeping sound get louder._

_"Please!" Arthur squirmed and lashed, tossing his head to the side and yelling out when something pricked his arm. "No! What are you doing? Stop!"_

_He looked down and saw a tube running from his wrist to a machine, and dread filled him. They had done this to him before... this was why he was still here... and..._

_And Arthur knew exactly what was to be expected._

_His throat seared and his ears filled with the ear-splitting sound of his own scream before the pain even started._

_…_

_Arthur did not open his eyes when he woke up. His entire body throbbed with aches and pains, and as usual after these experiments, his senses were on overdrive. Every touch, sight, and sound was ten times more potent than it should have been. He did not know where he was, but he was unusually comfortable- he was sitting up, his head laying on something soft and warm, and he was aware of a heartbeat under his ear, and felt the soft pants of air of someone's breath on his cheek. More unusual was the feeling of something running through his hair, gently, like a feather._

_"Arthur... are you awake? Can you hear me?"_

_Arthur did not move, but he relaxed- it was Alfred. How and why he was in the other's arms he did not know, but he did not care._

_"I'm holding your hand... if you can hear me, squeeze my fingers."_

_Arthur squeezed his fingers lightly, hearing the beating of Alfred's heart pick up._

_"Oh my God, Arthur... what did they do to you?" the other's voice cracked and resounded with fury. "How dare they... how could they...?"_

_Arthur felt something wet on his cheek and realized that Alfred was weeping. He still could not move without feeling pain, but his stomach seized with anxiety- Alfred shouldn't cry. Alfred had never cried before, no matter how terrible the wounds on himself were. Why was he crying? Did the white coats hurt him too?_

_"I couldn't protect you, Arthur," Alfred's voice was muffled as he buried his face in the crook of Arthur's neck. "I'm so sorry... they brought you back in here and... and I thought you were dead... I didn't know what to do, I should've _killed _them or something and I just told them to put you in here with me because you were still s-screaming and..."_

_"I am sorry..." Arthur choked out. "Alfred, I am sorry... I tried to... I tried to be strong like you..."_

_"Don't you go apologizing on me, you hear?" Alfred immediately said, and Arthur felt the other's hands on his sweaty forehead, sweeping his hair back. "You've got nothing to be sorry for."_

_They were like that for a while, Alfred holding Arthur and gently rocking him back and forth, whispering in his ear about how he wouldn't ever, ever let the white coats take him away again, and that he'd make sure he was safe... Arthur didn't know when he started to cry too, but he did._

_"A-Alfred...?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"I want to leave. I do not want to be here anymore."_

_"Then we're gonna get out of here."_

Now Arthur and Alfred were standing on the edge of a mountain, something Arthur had only ever seen pictures of, something he'd only ever dreamed of, and Alfred was next to him, looking out across the same valley as he was.

"What are you thinking about?" Alfred asked him suddenly, turning towards him. "You've got that look on your face."

"I was thinking about... us," Arthur admitted, blushing slightly. "And that I am glad that we are here... and I think you are also very stupid for making us jump off a cliff."

Alfred laughed loudly, and Arthur admired how the deep tones of it echoed around the endless expanse of air. "Well, we gotta do it somehow! And what better time or place then right here and right now?"

Arthur gulped nervously, and Alfred's look softened. He took his small, pale hand in his much larger one and grasped it tightly.

"Hey," he said, brushing his hair back tenderly. "Sink or swim, we'll do it together."

"I think you mean 'fly or fall'," Arthur told him, earning another laugh. He smiled lightly and squeezed his hand back before letting it drop. "... on the count of three?"

"On three," Alfred agreed, moving away from him.

The two mutants stood about twenty feet apart on the rocky face, identical washed out shirts and cotton pants. One was tall and lean, with tanned and scarred skin, his eyes as blue as the sky. The other was short and skinny, with pale and bruised skin, his eyes as green as the valley below. Arthur looked down at the drop below him and then back to Alfred, his face frightened and nervous.

"One,"

Alfred smiled reassuringly at him.

"Two,"

Arthur felt his fear melt away, because he could trust him. He could put all of his faith in Alfred, and Alfred wasn't going to let him down. So he looked back out into the sky, felt his heart pulling him towards it, and saw Alfred leaning forward slightly as well, an anticipating look on his face...

"Three!"

And they both fell off the side of the cliff.

He had no thoughts of death or doom or dying at all- Arthur felt perfectly normal. He felt free. As the ground rushed towards him, everything seemed to be going extremely fast and extremely slow at the same time; he could pick out individual stones on the earth below, see a single leaf falling lazily from a tree, but he still felt the wind blowing his hair back from his face and heard it whistling in his ears as he rocketed towards the dirt and grass.

He knew exactly what he had to do.

In less than two heartbeats of his fast-beating heart, Arthur rolled his shoulders, feeling the extra limbs that he had always kept pressed against his back unfurl, and nearly cried in relief as the aching muscles were stretched, out and up. He could see them out of the corner of his eye, could feel the wind running through and across them, and it just felt so right, so natural and easy.

Arthur let out a cry of triumph as his wings fully extended, his body arching as he tilted them up and his momentum shot him into the sky, curving in a dip away from the ground. His arms stayed firmly at his side- he had been so worried about what to do with them and it seemed so silly now. He gave an experimental flap and was excited to find that it made him speed up and helped his balance. Another few wing sweeps and he was soaring above the valley, darting through the clouds and feeling the wind on his face...

It was exhilarating.

Just to see if he could, Arthur tipped his wings down to the left and banked in that direction, slowly turning in mid-air. If he turned his neck in a certain angle, he could get a good look at his left wing; it was slender, the feathers soft and thin, and the limb itself curved in a bowl-like fashion before narrowing to the larger, thicker outside feathers. His wings were about thirteen feet across, pure white, and the sun shone through them like they were transparent... they were rather beautiful.

Up ahead, Arthur heard the flapping of another pair of wings and looked up excitedly to see Alfred headed towards him, his expression filled with joy and amazement... his wings were much larger then Arthur's, a deep, silky brown; broad and powerful. They weren't as sleek as Arthur's either, but they were still so... so incredible.

"I told you we could do it, Arthur!" Alfred yelled as he barreled towards him through the air. "I told you! Look! We're flying!"

"I can see that, git!" Arthur laughed and swooped back around to meet him. "I... I cannot believe it!"

Alfred's peals of laughter were lost in the wind, but suddenly Arthur realized that he could not stop and did not know how to hover, so he ended up crashing straight into Alfred's chest.

For a split second, Arthur felt himself falling, but strong hands gripped his arms and held him up, hugging him to his chest. Surprised, but pleased, Arthur found that if he wrapped his arms around Alfred just so, his wings extended but not moving, Alfred could continue flying up, supporting Arthur's weight easily.

"We're free, Arthur!" Alfred whispered in his ear, and Arthur closed his eyes, hugging him tighter. "We're free, and we're going to be okay..."

Arthur had no trouble believing him, and he looked up into Alfred's shining blue eyes. "I never thought we would be free, Alfred... much less hugging in midair..."

"Me neither," Alfred admitted, his wings working hard to keep them both aloft. Then he grinned. "... How about a kiss in midair?"

So Arthur leaned up and kissed him, and in that moment, everything was absolutely perfect.

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_A/N: Tada~!_

_Brief explanation: Arthur talks without conjunctions (EX: does not verses doesn't) because he learned most of English from the white coats, who are obviously the scientists. His sole purpose and the reason he was kept alive for so long was because he's used as a sort of lab rat- poke him with a hot poker and see how he reacts._

_This is weird- for some reason, I think it's extremely hot when Alfred says "Howdy" in a FF... huh._

_OH, and the bird I based them after should be obvious- Arthur is a white dove, while Alfred is a bald eagle. :) YAY!_

_The reason I DID NOT write this in James Patterson's style like I planned is because while I love his books characters and plots… he can't write. He really and truly is an awful writer... BUT THEN WHY DO I LOVE HIM SO?_

_Read and review, please! More reviews= faster updates! :DDDD_


	2. Life As We Knew It: K Plus

_A/N: Hello again~! OH MA GAWD U GAIZ R SO LUCKY! I updated this twice in a week! Tis unheard of! D:_

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**Title: "Life as We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer**

**Warnings: None**

**Summary: An asteroid hits the moon and propels it towards the Earth.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Hetalia". I do not own "Life as We Knew It".**

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**Life As We Knew It**

_May 18_

People started showing up at our house at about six in the evening, exactly as planned. It was great- in less than fifteen minutes, pretty much the entire high school's sophomore class, the neighbors, and a few other miscellaneous people were all laying beach towels on our front lawn, popping open sodas and chips while Mom and Dad manned the grill. It was like summer had come early, and I loved the smell of burgers and hotdogs being cooked over the charcoal, the crickets chirping as the sun slowly began to sink in the sky and the stars began poking out.

I leaned on the railing surrounding the deck and looked up into the sky; the moon was just beginning to shine brighter, the crescent shape illuminated as the sun sank over the horizon. I was really excited- I mean, how often is a meteor going to smash into the moon? I knew that it happened all the time, but NASA said that we'd actually get to see it, and that was just awesome.

"I suppose this only further illuminates your ambition to become an astronaut," I looked from the purple stained sky and saw Arthur standing a little bit away, his hands on the railing. He wasn't looking at the sky, but at me, and I saw the amusement in his green eyes. "Oh Christ, it does, doesn't it?"

"Aw, c'mon!" I immediately rushed over, swinging myself up to sit on the railing, leaning forward to stare up close into his face. "Just think about how cool it would be! To be weightless and see Earth from waaaay up in space? It'd be flying and swimming and... and loads of other stuff at the same time!"

"It's also terrible space food that comes in packets," Arthur told me, pushing my face away from his teasingly. "Nausea, homesickness, and constant working out to keep your bones from shrinking."

"Adventure!" I crowed, grabbing his shoulders and spinning him around to face away from me and look into the sky. "Exploration! New, exciting discoveries!"

"Zero gravity," Arthur retorted, leaning back against my chest and gazing at the stars. "No contact with your family. Pissing in a tube."

I laughed and rested my chin on his head, wrapping my arms around his torso. I didn't really expect Arthur to get my fascination with space- his head always stayed with his feet, planted firmly on the ground. Didn't stop me from being totally and completely gay for him, but whatever. "You're just gonna miss me when I go on the first ever manned voyage to Mars."

"I will not," Arthur retorted. "Because by the time you get back, I'll have an extraordinarily handsome partner, several adopted children, and I'll have written more than one best-selling novel."

"Who's gonna be _your_partner?" I asked, poking his cheek. "Wait! I know... you're gonna hook up with what-his-face from that show 'Sherlock', right? The guy you have a poster of under your bed?"

Arthur flushed. "W-Well, at least I'll have a partner! You'll only have your left hand when you're all alone up there..."

"I'll bring an alien back with me," I offered. "I'll name him Tony."

"Ton- why would you name an alien 'Tony'?"

"It's a cool name!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and I saw Mom looking at us out of the corner of her eye, smirking slightly. I shot her a look and she only smiled wider, wagging her finger in my direction as she went inside the house to get more paper plates. Arthur follow my look and grinned at me. "Your mum is certainly charming."

"Shuddup..." I muttered. I had to have on the weirdest mothers on the face of the planet- Mom not only supported me in my coming out, but wholeheartedly encouraged it. It was like she made a consistent effort in pointing out how long I had "floated after Arthur like a puppy" before I asked him out, often making jabs right in front of him of how much I talked about him and shit. "She's crazy."

We eventually found Mattie and his girlfriend and camped out with some folding chairs on the deck. I liked Camille a lot, and she was always completely okay with whatever Arthur and I did around her like we were any other straight couple, so when he sat down on my lap as the clock ticked closer and closer to nine thirty, I didn't mind when she whispered something in French to Matt and they shared a grin while shooting the two of us a 'look'.

"How much longer?" I whined shamelessly, bouncing a little in my seat, Arthur giving me a glare as his perch was dislodged slightly.

Matthew flipped open his phone to the check the time. "Any minute now."

We all stared at the dark sky. The people around us had long since settled down, and now the air was quiet, only whispers and the crickets sounding aloud. We were all craning our necks and I remembered that I had left my binoculars inside and cursed myself for not getting them sooner, but it was too late- if I moved now, I could miss it.

It came seconds later, like a shooting star, but bigger and grander. It was nothing compared to the size of the moon, but still the biggest thing I'd ever seen in the night besides it. It shot through the evening and everyone cheered at the blazing white trail it left behind. I laughed, completely awestruck, knowing that this was something incredible and amazing and I was here to see it in person.

And then it hit the moon.

We were all expecting it of course, but still. A great cheer went up from the people on our lawn, applauding and hugging each other. Camille kissed Matthew on the cheek, and I saw some people on my football team on the lawn high-five. I turned to Arthur, grinning and maybe hoping for a kiss too, but his face was still turned towards the sky and I suddenly felt his nails digging into my arm.

Someone screamed.

I looked back at the moon, only it was different. It wasn't a half-moon anymore, it was three-quarters, and it was tilted all wrong, angled differently. And it was getting closer, staying in the same spot, but swelling until it was far, far too big in the sky, so close that you could see the craters clearly and defined, like you were looking through a telescope. It was still the moon, but it was unfamiliar...

And then everyone was screaming.

Camille's eyes were as big as dinner plates, and she kept saying "Oh my God, Oh my God" over and over again. Matthew had stood up, his glasses askew, and he was gaping at the moon like he'd never seen it before. In truth though, none of us had ever seen it. Not like this. I stood up too, gripping Arthur's shoulders tightly. People were shouting and yelling and I even saw a few people drop to their knees and begin to pray. Mom and Dad were trying to keep order, but everyone was running around, scrambling for their family and their things and their cars. I heard someone singing "Amazing Grace".

Camille's parents found her and then she was gone, leaving Arthur, Mattie, and me. We all looked at each, not wanting to look at the giant in the sky and without a word, we raced inside.

Dad was already there, fumbling with the TV in the living room. There was nothing but static. Not even CNN was coming on.

"What happened?" I asked, even though it was a ridiculous question. No one knew what was happening. "Dad?"

"Maybe you should tell us that," Arthur told me. His face was paler than usual, but he kept his voice steady. "You're the space expert."

Mom walked in, her face ashen. "Everyone's leaving. John, turn that off, there's not going to be any television. Matthew, get the radio, sweetie. Alfred, grab some chips and popcorn from the kitchen. Arthur, honey, sit down. You're not going anywhere."

I loved how Mom could be the coolest out of all of us. I ran to the kitchen, slipping a little on the tile floor, but grabbed all the snacks I could fit in my arms before running back to the living room. Matthew and Dad were fiddling with the radio dial- they couldn't seem to get any of the New York stations, but eventually got Philadelphia. Mom sat on the couch with Arthur, who seemed to be trying to call his parents back home in England, but the lines were dead. I dumped the food on the table and sat next to Arthur, taking his hand. He squeezed me tightly, and gave me the most frightened look I've ever seen him wear.

At first, the radio didn't seem to be able to tell much more than what we already knew. The moon had been hit, but NASA had miscalculated. A bulletin came on before the astronomer could speak, and we turned on the TV, able to get reception now.

"Are you sure? Has that been confirmed?" The newscaster was pale- he must have heard the news through his earphone, and he waited a moment before turning to the camera.

Mom hugged Matthew tightly while Dad simply sat and stared. I held onto Arthur's hand tightly.

"We are receiving reports of widespread tsunamis," the newscaster said, his voice breaking slightly. "The tides. As most of you know, the moon controls the tides. And the moon, well, whatever happened at nine o' seven this evening- and we don't know just what really did happen, but whatever it was- the tides were affected. Yes, yes I got that. The tides seemed to have swelled far beyond their normal boundaries. The reports coming in are from people in airplanes who happened to be flying overhead at the time. Massive flooding had been reported all over the eastern seaboard. There had been some confirmation of this, but these reports are preliminary. Sometimes you hear the worst and it doesn't prove that way at all. Wait a second."

I glanced at my family. Mom was biting her nails and Dad's mouth was open wide. I knew that he had business partners on the eastern seaboard.

"All right, we are getting some confirmation," the newscaster said. "There are confirmed reports of tidal waves twenty feet or higher in New York City. All power there has been lost, so these are very sketchy reports. The tides don't seem to be stopping. AP is reporting that the Statue of Liberty had been washed out to sea."

Matthew gasped and I felt my heart wrench as Arthur's eyes met mine. This seemed so trivial now with the people out there dying but...

_"Hey Artie?" I opened my eyes as his lips ran over my jaw and sighed lightly. "Mmm... can I ask you a question?"_

_"You just did," Arthur murmured, letting out a small hum of approval as I ran my hands along his chest. "But you may ask another..."_

_"If I asked you to marry me one day, would you?"_

_Arthur opened his eyes, sitting up a little from straddling my waist. I kept my hands on his hips, though I looked away, a bit embarrassed. "... Why would you ask that?" he finally said, cupping my face and turning me back to look at him._

_"Well, I was just thinkin'..." I muttered, flushing. "I tell ya all the time that I love you and I really do... so maybe, one day...?"_

_Arthur thought about this for a moment before leaning back down over me and pressing his lips to mine softly. I kissed him back, raising my hands up over his spine and bringing him closer. For a moment, my thoughts were lost in Arthur's touch, and I could feel his hot breath on my lips as he pulled away while I blinked dazedly._

_"I think that if the time is right," Arthur said, running his hand through my hair. "And if you bought me a bunch of bloody expensive flowers... and a wedding band... and it was somewhere extremely romantic... you have a fifty percent chance of me saying yes."_

_"Only fifty?" I exclaimed, frowning as he laughed._

_"Sixty, if the flowers are roses," he kissed my nose. "Seventy if you take me to dinner beforehand."_

_I raised an eyebrow and seized the opportunity to flip us over so I was on top of him, my hands on either side of his head as I kissed down his neck. _

_"I'll take you to see a show on Broadway," I mumbled around his soft skin. "And then we'll go to an expensive flower shop and you can get all the flowers you want... and then I'm going to take you on a ride to the Statue of Liberty and we're going to go all the way up into her crown..."_

_"And then...?" Arthur was enjoying the little scenario as much as I was- I could tell._

_"And then I'll get down on one knee..." I sat up and took his hand. "And I'll take your hand like this... reach into my pocket... and I'll bring out a little black box... and by then you'll know what I'm going to say right?"_

_"Tell me what you'll say," Arthur's eyes shone in the dim light of my bedroom. "Word for word."_

_"I'll say," I heard my voice get low, and I looked right into his beautiful eyes. "'Arthur James Kirkland, I've loved you since the sixth grade, when you first came to school with that awesome accent and holding that humongous book of King Arthur legends. I promise that no matter what, I will always be there for you, and we'll protect and support each other. I'll be your hero if you let me, Arthur. So... will you marry me?'"_

_I lifted his hand and kissed his ring finger._

_"... you silly boy," Arthur whispered, wrapping his arms around my neck and bringing me down so our lips were centimeters apart. "Of course I'll say yes."_

"We're getting an unconfirmed report that all of Cape Cod has been flooded," the newsman said. "Again, this is unconfirmed. But AP is reported that Cape Cod-" and he paused for a moment and swallowed- "that Cape Cod had been completely submerged. The same seems to be true of the barrier islands off the Carolina coast. Just gone."

I wrenched my gaze away from Arthur and focused on the TV again.

"All right. There is confirmation of massive damage to Miami. Many deaths, many casualties. There's no way of knowing the number of deaths. Communication satellites are down. Telephone lines are down. We're trying to get an astronomer from Drexel to come to our studio and tell us what he thinks is happening, but as you can imagine, astronomers are pretty busy right now. All right. We seem to be getting a national feed again, so we're cutting to our national news bureau for a live update."

The NBC anchorman came on the TV.

"We're expecting word from the White House momentarily," he said. "Early reports are of massive damage to the all the major cities on the eastern seaboard. I'm coming to you from Washington, D.C. We have been unable to make contact with our New York City headquarters for the past hour. But here's the information as we have it. Everything I am going to tell you has been verified by two sources."

I realized that all five of us were sitting on the couch now. Dad had his arm around Mom, who had Matthew pressed into her other side while her hand came around to squeeze my knee. Matthew was next to me, trembling, and his hand holding onto mine, while I had my arm around Arthur while he had my other hand in a vice-like grip. We were all waiting with baited breath to see what was really happening.

"New York City has suffered major damage," the anchor said. "Staten Island and the eastern section of Long Island are completely submerged. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard are no longer visible. Providence, Rhode Island- in fact, most of Rhode Island- can no longer be seen. The islands off the coast of the Carolinas are gone. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are being battered. There seems to be no letting up. We've now had confirmation of massive flooding in New Haven and Atlantic City. Casualties on the eastern seaboard are believed to be in the hundreds of thousands. Naturally it is far too early to tell if that number is excessive. We can only pray that it is."

And then suddenly, the President's face was on the screen.

"I am broadcasting you from my ranch in Texas," the president said. "The United States has suffered its worst tragedy. But we are a great people and we will place our faith in God and extend a helping hand to all who need us."

Arthur scoffed. "That man is full of shit."

We all laughed because that was just an Arthur thing to say.

"It's late, boys," Mom said, turning off the TV. "I think all of us should go to bed."

I wasn't particularly tired, but I nodded along with Matt, who kissed Mom goodnight and gave Dad a hug before disappearing up the stairs, attempting to send texts with his cell phone. Arthur and I stood next, and I gave Mom her kiss and fist-pumped Dad. Arthur said his goodnights and we followed Matthew up the stairs.

I paused at the top and took Arthur's hand he was staring at the carpet, eyes dull. "Hey... sleep in my room tonight."

"Your mum doesn't like it when we do that," Arthur pointed out the obvious. Because he did live here and all as an exchange student, but we were dating, Mom had laid down some ground rules, supportive of our relationship or not. "You know that."

"Tonight's different," I said firmly. "Go get in your pajamas and I'll wait for you, okay?"

Arthur hesitated before nodding and disappearing in his room. I quickly went into my own and pulled on a t-shirt and sweatpants before turning on my clock radio and tuning into the news. I wasn't going to be sleeping tonight; I knew that much, so I might as well hear what was going on. Arthur came in after a few minutes, shutting the door behind him and then crossing over to my window and closing the curtains.

"I don't want to look at it," he muttered at my questioning look. "It's... too big."

I understood and he crawled into bed with me, lying down on his side. If we ever did share a bed together, we usually spooned, but this time he turned to face me, and I realized that he wanted to see my face... and I wanted to see his. I wrapped my arms around him and he put his hands against my chest.

We were quiet as the radio talked about the damage done in the US.

"_... unconfirmed reports... disappearance of... Hawaii... other news as parts of … Alaska are completely... decimated..."_

I stared into Arthur's eyes.

"Those islands..." he whispered, and I saw the fear he hadn't been willing to show in front of my parents flit in his green depths. "... islands are gone, Alfred. They're gone..."

"I know."

_"... we're unsure of the predicament... nations across the world... as communication remains down..."_

"Alfred... E-England is an island..."

I wrapped my arms tighter around him and he buried his face into my chest, gripping my t-shirt in his small hands. I always loved his hands... they were tiny, but that meant I could hold them in mine perfectly. "I don't know what's going to happen, Arthur. I don't know, but I'm not gonna let you go, okay? I'll be here."

I felt Arthur shaking, and I knew he was crying. "... g-git... you and your s-stupid hero c-complex..."

_"... unconfirmed reports... submerged... Australian cities along the... Holland... to... completely destroyed..."_

"Turn it off," Arthur pleaded after a moment. "Please, Alfred. Turn it off; I don't want to hear anymore."

I obeyed and the silence that followed was almost worse than the terrible things being broadcasted. "I'm glad you're with me, Arthur. If you were in England and I didn't know what had happened to you..."

"I know," Arthur placed a kiss on my jaw. "I would be even more scared as well."

We held each other that night, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. Everything around us changed that night and nothing was ever, ever the same...

… But we had each other, even if life as we knew it was no more.

* * *

_A/N: GO READ THIS BOOK._

_Seriously! It's one of my favorites. So, the dialogue from CNN and the president and whatever IS NOT MINE it was taken directly from the book. Arthur is an exchange student from England and has been going to school in America for four years, living over the term with Alfred's family. Matthew is obviously his brother._

_Oh and "Camille"! Sooo… Mattie had to be straight in this particular fiction. I APOLOGIZE to all PruCan and Franada fans, but it just seemed too illogical for Matthew and Alfred, as twin brothers, to both be gay for this one! In later stories, they may be cousins or not related at all and therefore he can be the uke we all know and love, but for a straight Matthew, Camille is my default._

_Camille is Quebec, by the way. I based her off of my dear friend Emi. I LOVE YOU ROBERT! :DDD_

_Read and review! :)_


	3. Twilight: T

_A/N: This one… is weird._

**Title: "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer**

**Warnings: None.**

**Summary: Alfred is avoiding Arthur for reasons the former can't understand.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, or Twilight.**

* * *

**Twilight**

"Please, Mr. Jones, if you'll just-"

"_I'm sorry, Arthur. But no is no_."

_Beep._

… Shit. I slammed down the phone into the receiver and stared the device for a while, letting my anger bubble to a boiling point. How dare the Jones family suddenly begin treating me like some sort of... of plague? I had done absolutely nothing wrong. On the contrary, they should be extremely thankful that I was worried about Alfred, that he had a good friend like me who bothered to call and check in on him after he'd been out of school for _weeks._

The least they could do is tell me what was wrong with him. Honestly.

I scoffed and turned away from the phone, tapping my fingers against the counter in a constant rhythm. Excuses, excuses, excuses... "Alfred's too sick to come to the phone" had turned into "Alfred's out with some friends" which ended up as "Alfred doesn't want to talk to you".

Why wouldn't Alfred want to talk to me? Which 'friends' was he spending time with? It wasn't like I was... jealous or anything, but not knowing why I was being so obviously ignored was grating on my nerves. To the best of my knowledge, I really hadn't done anything wrong. Yes, I was snappish. Maybe grumpy. A tad bit bitter. But Alfred never minded. Why should he start now...?

Scott chose this moment to walk into the kitchen. The idiot looked at my expression once before his face broke into a grin. "Yer boyfriend's still not callin' ye back?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" I snapped at him, chucking a magazine from the counter at his stupid, freckled face. "Go away, you git!"

"I've got the right ta be in the kitchen as much as you," Scott sneered as he crossed to the refrigerator and took out the milk, taking a swig straight from the gallon. "If yer so worried about the lad, go see him."

I opened my mouth to tell him how stupid he was, but realized... that wasn't a terrible idea. If I just drove up there... they couldn't just kick me out without me at least seeing Alfred... right? "Er... that was the plan! And that's disgusting, don't do that!"

Scott rolled his eyes and left, purposely leaving the milk on the counter so I had to go out of my way to put it back so it wouldn't spoil. I frowned and listened to Angus romping around upstairs with Peter and Casper... so they were taken care of. Maggie was out with a few friends, but left the car... I could do this. I would do this! I grabbed my jacket and the keys from the counter before dashing out of the front door.

~oO0Oo~

When I pulled up to the Jones house I saw the blinds shutter and knew that Mr. Jones knew I was here. I narrowed my eyes. "Alright, you..."

I climbed out of the car and felt my shoes sink into the soggy ground before tromping through the wet grass and up onto the porch. I paused before knocking sharply on the door.

A moment passed.

The door opened slowly and I looked up into the face of Mr. Jones, who didn't look happy to see me. "... Arthur."

"Is Alfred here?" I stared him down best I could. "I really need to speak to him."

"No, he's out with a few friends," Mr. Jones shifted uncomfortably. "... and he'll be gone for a while, so you might as well go home. I'll tell him to call you when he gets back."

"Mr. Jones," I kept my voice polite, but I knew my expression showed the frustration I felt. "With all due respect, you keep saying that, but _Alfred never calls me back."_

"He's grown boy, he can think for himself," Mr. Jones shrugged. "I guess he just doesn't want to talk."

I practically tore my hair out in irritation. "Then I suppose I will wait right there in my car until he comes back, won't I? He can't avoid me forever."

I turned to stomp away when I saw him. Or rather, the back of him. _Running away._

"Alfred!" I yelled as I saw him darting into the forest. "Alfred, where the bloody hell do you think you're running to?"

Without really thinking about it, I ran after him, ignoring the shout of Mr. Jones behind me. The forest was damp and wet, and my shoes made squishing noises against the mossy ground as I brushed away hanging leaves that were in my way, feeling drops of water spray my face as the leftover rain was scattered. I could hear footsteps ahead of me, and I plowed through the woods, skidding on a fallen log for a brief moment before resuming the chase.

"Alfred F. Jones!" I growled, narrowing my eyes and pushing past a tree that was broken in half. "You git! Get back here and face me like a MAN!"

My chest was beginning to hurt from taking in too much air, and I could feel myself slowing, though I pushed my burning muscles to go faster. Thunder rumbled overhead in the treetops, and I could feel the heaviness in the air as the impending rain came closer. All of a sudden, the footsteps that I was proud to have been keeping up fairly well with were gone, leaving nothing but the slap of my shoes against mud and the birds overhead chirping.

I slowed down to a jog, putting my hands out to hold onto a tree to catch my breath and regain my balance, putting my head down. This was stupid. Ridiculous. Actually, Alfred was the stupid and ridiculous one! I cursed and looked up, still leaning on the tree, seeing nothing but the green and brown of the forest.

"Alfred..." I panted. "Why the... you little... of all the..."

I kicked the tree and it shuddered, sending drops of water flying down. There was a rustle in a bush nearby, and I froze, turning towards the sound. What kind of animals were in the woods? Bears? Foxes?

"Arthur."

My eyes widened as Alfred stepped out of the bushes. He... he was not the same person I saw three weeks ago at school. The lanky, sort of awkward teen was now... a man. He was wearing jeans, but that was it, giving me a perfect view of a toned, broad chest that could not belong to him. He was taller, his face more mature, his skin clear and lightly bronzed. His eyes were the same shade of clear, sky blue, but he had bags under them, like deep purple bruises. His golden hair was scruffier than ever, dirty and slightly matted. He wasn't wearing his glasses.

"_Alfred_?" I gaped, staring at him. "How...?"

Alfred did not look at me. He had his head down, staring determinedly at his bare feet. His entire body was rigid and leaning away from me.

Then I remembered that I was angry at him. "What the bloody hell were you thinking, avoiding me like that?" I yelled, stepping forward angrily. "Honestly, even running away from me? What are you, six? Come off it, Alfred! If I did something wrong, just tell me! And what the hell happened to you anyways?"

"I need you to leave me alone."

Alfred's voice was low and dangerous, a tone I had never, not once, heard him use.

"What...?" I blinked. "Alfred, if I did something wrong, just tell me, and we can work it out-"

"It's not you," Alfred snapped, still leaning away, still not looking at me. "It's me. I've changed. And you can't be around me anymore."

I didn't know what to think. "Alfred..."

"Go home" Alfred said harshly, backing up. "Go home and don't come back."

"I will not!" I shouted, taking another step forward. Alfred winced like it hurt him, but I didn't care. "What the hell is going on? I won't stop until I find out!"

"Arthur, this doesn't have anything to do with you!" Alfred yelled back, which was odd, because he still wasn't looking up at me. "Do you understand? It's not your business!"

"Like hell it is!" I clenched my fists. "I don't know what's wrong, but it's obviously not healthy and definitely not right! Are you sick? Did something happen?"

"God!" Alfred put his hands in his hair and gripped the locks tightly. "You are so... so irritating! Get away and leave me alone, Arthur! I can't be with you!"

"Look at me!" I challenged, stepping forward again. He stepped back. "Jesus, Alfred! Look at me, and tell me you never want to see me again, and I'll leave you alone!"

"I can't!" Alfred roared, squeezing his eyes shut. It was so loud that some nearby birds took off in alarm, and I jumped, startled. He staggered back, letting his hands fall from his hair, looking completely defeated. "I can't..." He practically moaned, suddenly sitting down, his hands digging into the dirt.

"Al..." I came forward, hesitantly. He didn't move. "Al, I'm sorry..."

"Go away..." Alfred pleaded, refusing to look up. "Go away, go away, go away..."

"What are you so scared of?" I asked quietly, kneeling close to him. I could only see his back as he faced away from me. "Al?"

"I... can't deal with..." Alfred whispered into his hands. "I can't look at you. If I'm not... if you aren't... not now..."

"Please look at me, Alfred," I reached out a hand to touch his shoulder, but he grabbed my wrist tightly. I was taken by surprise at how hot his hand was. "Alfred?"

Very slowly, Alfred turned around, taking my other wrist in his other hand. I felt handcuffed, trapped, but I didn't move. Alfred opened his eyes, and in a painfully slow manner, raked his blue eyes up my torso, my face, and then locked eyes with me. I watched in complete confusion and astonishment as his mouth opened ever so slightly and a glazed look came over his eyes. His grip on my wrists lessened and I stayed still as one of his hands let go of mine and shakily came up to touch my face.

"You..." His voice was wavering, and he brushed his knuckles across my cheek. "Oh God... Arthur, you're..."

"Alfred, I don't understand..." I managed to say, completely distracted by his fingers running through my bangs. "What are you doing?"

"I was so scared, Arthur..." Alfred was using both hands now, carefully and gently touching my face and my hair. "I couldn't look at you, I couldn't be around you, and it hurt so bad..."

His finger outlined my lips.

"But it's you," He continued, just staring into my eyes. "It's _you._"

And then Alfred kissed me, and my world melted. His lips were hot, his breath warm, and I lost all train of thought as I opened my mouth for him, kissing him back. It felt... perfect. Like I was experiencing something I should have experienced a long time ago. Our tongues pressed together, our mouths dancing. I put my hand on his face, cupping his jaw and bringing him forward for more as his arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me closer. We ate at each other's lips, licking and kissing and it was absolutely heaven and... and...

… and there was a very loud noise behind me, a footstep of sorts that jolted my mind out of the hazy whirlwind it had been in. I jumped, breaking the kiss, and Alfred's eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder. I turned around and felt my mouth open in shock and fear, no sound escaping.

Standing behind me was a wolf, but not a wolf. It was a wolf because it had a long muzzle and canine teeth, dark green/yellow eyes, and dark chocolate fur. It was not a wolf because it was the size of a small semi-truck.

My heart stopped, and I felt every muscle in my body freeze and then relax, as though it had completely resigned itself to fact that those were very sharp teeth, and I was very bite-sized human.

Alfred, on the other hand, looked... annoyed?

"What the hell?" He snapped at the wolf-thing, tightening his hold around my waist. "What are you doing here?"

The wolf made a strange rumbling sound and bared its teeth at me, shifting from paw to paw. I squeaked.

"I know what I'm doing!" Alfred frowned at the creature. "I just kinda got caught up in the moment, dude. Go away."

"Alfred?" My voice was tiny. "Why are you talking to it?"

"Sorry, Arthur," Alfred looked apologetically at me. "This is Antonio."

I looked at 'Antonio'. "Oh."

What else could I say?

The dark brown wolf made a whimpering sound and pointed its nose at the forest, looking back at Alfred meaningfully.

"Cesar's pissed off, huh...?" Alfred muttered. The wolf rolled its eyes. Could wolves do that...? "Too bad."

Antonio's ears flattened.

"Okay, sorry!" Alfred sighed and looked right at it, suddenly grinning. "Um... I suppose you can pass it along then. This is Arthur... and I Imprinted on him."

What?

* * *

_A/N: OKAY. EXPLAINATION._

_Alfred's a werewolf! He's been avoiding Arthur because he's afraid that if he looks at him, he won't Imprint on him, and if that happens, he can't be with him anymore. So he figures that if he avoids Arthur and never finds out if he hasn't Imprinted that it's better than living with being in love with him and never being able to act on it, knowing that the person he's going to Imprint on is out there somewhere._

_Luckily, he Imprints on him~! YAY!_

_Scott: Scotland_

_Casper: Wales_

_Maggie: N. Ireland_

_Angus: Ireland_

_Peter: Sealand_

_Cesar: Puerto Rico_

_There will be a part 2 to this one, obviously. :DDD_

_Read and review, lovelies!_


	4. Beauty and the Beast: T

_I wasn't going to post this one, but my dear friend's incredibly enthusiastic reaction to my off-hand comment about writing this (you know who you are) convinced me to put it up. :3_

* * *

**Title: "Beauty and the Beast" by Disney**

**Warnings: Violence**

**Summary: Arthur is being held prisioner by the Beast when he discovers a magical rose.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own "Hetalia". I do NOT own Disney's "Beauty and the Beast".**

* * *

**Beauty and the Beast**

Arthur had never seen anything like it.

He had, of course, seen roses before. He had picked them up and inhaled the sweet perfume wafting from the pink and red petals and had run his fingers over the cool, thick leaves when no one was looking. They were his favorite type of flower, after all. The red roses scarlet blooms were simply enticing to his senses, and he supposed it was very sappy and foolish for his love for the flower to be so entrancing, especially when they were considered to be the most 'romantic' flower of them all. Yet he couldn't help it.

And just before him, there was a perfect rose.

Arthur touched the glass case with his fingertips lightly, feeling the tiny tremors from the contact almost like a hum on his skin, and gazed at the flower in awe. Its delicate scarlet petals curved upwards in a beautiful arch, the lip of the blossom sprouting out like a tiny fountain at the top. Near the bell-like bottom of it, the deep red faded into a dark pink, the color mixing with the green of the long, curly stem that bowed gently to the side before coming to a rest on the table. The entire plant seemed to glow with a faint light and it hovered as though held up by a string, and as he watched, it seemed to emit a tiny pulsation before sagging ever so slightly.

Concerned, Arthur gently picked the bell case up and set it aside as carefully as he could, feeling a sort of warmth coming from the rose as the glass was removed. He light around it flickered ever so slightly, and with a tiny twinge of guilt, Arthur used a single finger to prop the pretty bloom back up. The petals were soft, like velvet, and although the object emitted this strange warmth, the bloom was cool to the touch.

The rose immediately seemed to inflate slightly and the glow increased. Pleased, Arthur removed his hand and watched it for a moment. It seemed very important, this flower, and he had a split second to worry if maybe coming to the West Wing wasn't, in fact, a great idea, before a single petal fell from the flower.

Like it weighed nothing, it settled on the surface of the table.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The voice was so close behind him that Arthur could feel the breath on the back of his neck. He immediately tensed and a rough hand grasped his shoulder and spun him around ferociously, long, curved claws digging into the flesh as glittering chips of ice glowered above him. Fear seized his throat and he could only stare into those eyes as they thrust into his face, accompanied by a mouth full of razor teeth.

"How dare you touch it!" The Beast roared, both hands on his arms in a painful grip. "How dare you!"

Arthur was frozen in terror, his face inches away from the Beast now, the full horror of the creature now coming towards him in a new light. The hood had fallen from his face, and the hulking… _thing_ now stood a great deal taller then him. Its face was human at first, and then all he could see was the scars. Great gashes and cuts criss-crossed its face, littering the tan skin in such a fashion that in the dark, Arthur could barely distinguish where its nose was apart from its cheeks, where its lips were located among the deep wounds. Dirty blonde hair fell across its forehead and its eyes…. its eyes were ringed with dark circles, causing the freezing cold blue pupils to pop slightly, reflecting the light of the rose like a cats would.

The Beast snarled and with barely any effort tossed Arthur like a toy across the room, flinging him into a stack of cabinets. There was a crash and stars popped in front of his eyes as pain exploded over his head. He gasped on impact, sliding down onto the floor and simply laying there for a moment before scrambling to his feet, feeling something thick and sticky slide down his forehead. The Beast was picking up the glass dome and gently setting it over the flower, before he whirled to face Arthur as he began inching among the scattered objects in the dark room towards the door.

"Get out!" It howled, throwing a chair in his direction. It missed, splintering into a hundred pieces against the door just above Arthur's head. "Now! GET OUT!"

Arthur ran, flinging open the huge doors and sprinting away from the West Wing, his muscles screaming in protest. Fear like he had never known before drove him forward, the crashes and enraged cries of the Beast from behind him only encouraging every single cell in brain to focus on getting out, on leaving this terrible mansion, leaving behind the promise he had made.

~oO0Oo~

He was a fool.

Arthur hugged Penelope's neck tightly, her thick fur and warm skin providing only a small portion of heat to his frozen fingers as her mane tangled in his hands. The snow fell quietly but the speed at which Arthur urged his horse forward made it seem as though the panting of his breath and the 'whoosh' of air pumping out of her nose were clashes of thunder. The wet flakes felt like splinters were being driven into his skin like needles and the clouds of frozen air in front of his face blew back into his eyes and caused them to water, the tears freezing the moment they left his tear ducts.

It was too cold here, far too cold to have nothing more then a blouse and trousers on under a cloak. His toes might fall off from frostbite and he wouldn't know because the feeling had completely gone from his feet in his boots. His legs now only thumped uselessly against the heavily breathing flank of his horse and he could only hold on and pray that she knew where she was going.

Somewhere in the near distance, a wolf howled.

Arthur felt Penelope's heart race increase at the sound and urged her to go faster but the old mare was wearing out, having run through the blizzard for so long now. How long _had_ they been fleeing from the castle? Only a few minutes, probably, but it felt like hours. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and a few tears escaped the corners of his green irises.

Somewhere up ahead a large, dark patch of fur exploded from the brush, snarling. Arthur sat up in time for Penelope to whinny in alarm and veer precariously to the side, nearly throwing her rider off of her back in the process. The wolf howled and as the horse and man rode on, Arthur saw that they were surrounded, wolves surrounding them swiftly, running across the ground like slick seals in the ocean. A large gray one came up close and snapped at Penelope's leg, causing the horse to panic and buck slightly, kicking the animal in the head solidly.

"Go!" Arthur cried, holding on for dear life. "Go!"

Penelope ran, her hoofs pounding against the ground, black mane flying back into his face. The wolves snarled and barked at each other, converging on them tightly, making it harder and harder for the horse to maneuver until one of them managed to lock its salivating jaws around her front leg.

With a terrified whinny Penelope reared up defensively, kicking and bucking in an attempt to fight, throwing Arthur to the ground. He landed a few meters away, winded as the breath was knocked out of his lungs and watched helplessly through clouded eyes as the wolves attacked, jumping onto his beloved horse with howls of victory. Fury dotted his vision and he picked up a rock, throwing it with all his might at the pack.

"Oi!" He shouted, sitting up and scrambling backwards. "You! Get away!"

A huge brown wolf received a blow to the skull and snarled, turning to face him, giving Penelope a chance to gallop off as the pack gained a new interest in the much easier prey before them. Arthur's chest constricted in fear and he struggled to move backwards, a scream building in his throat as the wolf jumped for him, aiming for his jugular, a mouth full of glistening white teeth so close Arthur could see the individual taste buds on its tongue and feel the hot breath on his face-

Somewhere to his right, something huge let out a terrifying roar and swatted the enormous wolf out of the air like a fly, the animal flying through the snow and hitting a tree with a yelp of pain.

Arthur turned, eyes huge and the wind whipping his hair around his face to see the Beast, standing slightly behind him with its cloak billowing around it fiercely. Its arm out and extended towards the pack of now cautious wolves, it growled deep in it's chest and Arthur was startled as it slowly crossed in front of him, leaving deep tracks in the snow as it snarled at the animals.

The wolves seemed to exchange glances before attacking as one, immediately racing towards the Beast over the snow, jaws snapping. The Beast roared and charged as well, claws extended, and began cutting the wolves down one by one. The air was filled with furious howls and cries as they fought and Arthur scrambled backwards, terrified, towards the roots of an old oak tree. The animals continued to leap, getting up again and again, tearing at the Beast, who seemingly could not be touched, twisting and turning and slicing the air.

Before long the pack was beaten and they knew it, taking off with a howl not a minute later, shooting evil glares at the Beast, who leered at them. In a few moments, everything was quiet.

The snow fell.

Arthur watched as the Beast turned.

It was… so human. Not in the dark, not hidden by that cloak… the Beast was bigger then an average man, but had the same skin, the same eyes, the same face. But it, no, HE, was mauled, disfigured, and as Arthur looked on, he saw that the only truly un-human thing about him was the terrible sharp canine teeth and long, curved claws shooting from the back of his hands.

"Are you alright?" Arthur couldn't stop the words and instantly covered his mouth in horror as they slipped from his lips.

The Beast looked at him and very slowly nodded.

Arthur carefully stood, keeping his distance. "Are you hurt?"

The Beast shook his head.

And as Arthur decided that maybe it would be okay to come a bit closer, the Beast let out a sort of moan and fell to his knees, head lolling back onto his shoulders. Before Arthur could do anything, he fell into the snow, unmoving.

Around the fallen Beast, the snow was turning red.

Arthur rushed towards him and forgot the numbness spreading through his limbs as he knelt next to him, worried. "Bloody hell, can you hear me? Hello? B-Beast?"

_Oh yes_, Arthur thought stupidly as he struggled to roll the Beast over. _Call him 'Beast'. I'm sure that's appreciated._

Arthur managed to move him onto his side and was alarmed to find his fingers were red and sticky with blood. "Oh, _bloody hell_…"

The Beast groaned and shifted slightly, his form huge and daunting up close. Arthur couldn't help but flinch away as a single icy blue eye opened and fixed him with a stare.

Green met blue, and the Beast tried to move away from him, eyes narrowing.

"No, wait…" Arthur reached out and touched his arm; the Beast huffed and glared. "Let… let me help you."

The Beast blinked slowly.

"Please?"

For a moment, there was nothing but the snow, and Arthur shivered. And then the Beast reached out one tentative arm and Arthur took it, his fingers sliding over ridges and valleys carved into the warm skin. He tried not the grimace and slowly, the Beast got to his feet. Arthur was reminded how much bigger he was then him as he towered over his head, immediately retracting his arm the moment he could stand up straight.

A second passed and the Beast swayed dangerously, eyes bleary, and Arthur grabbed onto him. "Careful!" He grunted.

The Beast growled but allowed the contact, leaning onto Arthur slightly for support. Slowly, they headed back to the castle. All thoughts of leaving were gone from Arthur's mind. Not only did he no longer have a way home, but now he was indebted to the Beast. He almost rolled his eyes. Yes, he was defiantly a smart one. A real genius.

"Thank you," Arthur mumbled. "For saving my life."

He stumbled, and the Beast reached out an arm to steady him.

All was quiet until the shadow of the castle emerged too soon. Arthur was dismayed. He had to have been riding for longer then the short minutes it took to _walk_ to the castle! He looked behind him and noticed the hoof-tracks in the snow. He and Penelope must have been going in circles the entire time.

The two of them passed the tall gates, and the Beast stopped.

"Aren't you coming?" Arthur asked blandly, gesturing to the large oak doors. "Or are you going to stay outside in the snow?"

The Beast looked at him, expression unreadable.

Arthur shrugged and began walking inside.

"You're welcome."

He turned around in shock just in time for the Beast to walk past him, inside the castle, barely brushing his arm as he did so.

"Yeah," Arthur said, dazed. "Okay."

* * *

_A/N: Yeah. Not my best work, but oh well._

_If you can't tell, Alfred is the Beast (I always wondered what the original Beast's name was- Belle always just called him Beast...) and Arthur is Belle, and Penelope is the horse. I have no idea where I came up with the name Penelope- it just happened._

_Sucky action scenes suck._

_BLAH._

_Read and review anyways? Please? :D_


	5. Titanic: M

_I forewarn you: there is lemonade in this chapter. If you feel like skipping it, there will be an asterik (*) before it starts and when it ends. Please enjoy this one, and NO, it won't follow the original plot completely._

* * *

**Title: "Titanic" by James Cameron**

**Warnings: 'M' material; lemonade.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Hetalia". I do not own "Titanic."**

* * *

** Titanic**

Arthur laughed breathlessly, holding on tightly to the railing. "It's… beautiful…"

"I know," Alfred's voice was sweet in his ear, his breath warm on his neck. He could feel the smile pulling up his cheeks and crinkling around his eyes as his face was pressed against his skin. "Wanna go higher?"

"I dunno," Arthur was reluctant- he was already having trouble staying balanced as it was. "Is it quite safe?"

"Safe?" Alfred chuckled, the vibrations sending shivers up Arthur's spine. "That's a good question. I have no idea, but I promise I won't let you fall."

The honesty in his words took Arthur's breath away, and he nodded, moving one foot up higher on the railing before pushing up, the topmost rail pressing against his thighs. "Ah!"

"You okay?" Alfred also took a step higher, his arms encircling around his waist tightly. "Too high?"

"N-No," Arthur shuddered in the cold breeze coming off of the water. "It's fine…"

"Then open your eyes…"

He couldn't refuse. Arthur opened his eyes hesitantly before they widened in complete shock. It was as if there was no boat at all… he was flying. All around him, as far as he could see, were the vast waters of the ocean. Up ahead the sun was sinking below the waves, casting an orange and pink reflection along them, highlighting the purple sky with yellows and reds. The breeze blew his hair back and salty spray flew up from the sea far down below, catching on his tongue and making his fingers numb from the deathly grip he had on the rail. He began to laugh, a smile spreading across his face that he hadn't known he could still create, and he felt the deep tremors of Alfred's deep chuckling against his back as well. "This… this is amazing!"

"Hold out your arms!" Alfred said, gripping his waist. "Go on!"

"Okay!" Arthur slowly let go of the railing, one finger at a time, and extended his arms, leaning forward. "Oh… oh!"

"Ha! Great right?"

It was more then _great_. Arthur leaned forward, over the bow of the _Titanic_, eagerly pushing his face into the wind. It was cold; nipping at his skin and biting at his lungs with every breath he inhaled, but he didn't care. He was flying, the sparkling orange sunlight on the waves below him reflecting onto his bare flesh and bouncing off the metal rim of ship. His heart was lighter then he could ever remember it being… and Alfred was there, holding him in place, keeping him safe and warm.

"Alfred…" Arthur slowly lowered his arms and rested his hands on Alfred's, holding on tightly. "Thank you."

Alfred laughed, his voice still in his ear. "For what?"

Arthur couldn't say. Not out loud. The words were there, but they weren't enough. What was he supposed to say? "Thank you for not letting me kill myself"? "Thanks for standing up for me"? "Thanks for letting me love you"…?

So Arthur instead turned his body in Alfred's arms, twisting at the waist and reaching with one hand to cup his face. It was cold at first, but the warmth from the flush in his cheek reached his fingers, and his azure eyes sparkled at him.

And then Arthur kissed him.

It was slow. His lips gently met Alfred's, ever so softly pushing them apart and tilting his head to the side so their noses didn't crash together. His mouth was warm on his, and it took less then a second for the American to kiss back, fully enveloping his mouth in his, their faces inches apart and coming closer. His lips were chapped and a little dry, nothing like Arthur's own soft and smooth ones, but he liked it. It was so… Alfred.

They stood on the bow of the ship like that for what could have been an eternity, but Arthur thought it ended much too soon when they broke apart and he saw the excited light in Alfred's eyes. His own face was red, he knew, but he didn't move his hand from Alfred's cheek, and Alfred didn't let him go.

"Arthur, I-"

"_Hey, you_!"

The two of them spun around, and Alfred gasped as he saw Gilbert standing there, his red eyes wide. "Aw, no…"

"Get away from him!" The Prussian spat, and Arthur cried out in surprise as he saw the silver flash of a gun.

"Alfred, go-"

The words were taken away as Arthur was suddenly yanked off his feet and into the American's arms, being barreled towards Gilbert at top speed.

"_Mein gott-_!"

Gilbert had no choice but to leap out of the way as Alfred ran towards him. As he did so, Arthur realized the genius in his plan- there was no way Gilbert could shoot Alfred in public, and even if he did, he'd be running the risk of shooting Arthur. And a shot Arthur meant a very angry French boss.

"Alfred, let me go!" He struggled for a moment in Alfred's grip before being set lightly on his feet. "What are you doing- AH?"

His arm was wrenched nearly out of its socket as Alfred seized his hand and began tugging him across the deck, laughing loudly. "C'mon, Iggy! The bastard's gonna get us if we don't hurry!"

The two of them ran for it, darting in and out of people who retracted with surprised and angry exclamations. Behind them were the angry shouts and cursing of Gilbert, who was knocking passengers over left and right, unable to shoot in a crowd like this.

"Are you mad?" Arthur demanded, unable to help a laugh of his own. Imagine it. Him, the perfect Arthur Kirkland, running away from a German mobster hand in hand with an American he just kissed? ... It was almost too good to be true, in the oddest sense possible. "We're not going to be able to outrun him!"

"Trust me!" Alfred grinned at him and ducked inside the hallway, tugging Arthur with him. Together, they sprinted down the stairs and past the dining hall, where Arthur caught a fleeting glimpse of Elizaveta giving him a wink and a thumbs up. "I know what to do!"

Arthur chanced a look behind him, and saw Gilbert gaining on them, gun cocked and aimed at their heads. "Alfred…!"

Suddenly, Matthew appeared out of nowhere, followed closely behind by Feliciano… or rather, Matthew appeared to be pushing a food cart which Feliciano appeared to be riding on, screaming, "PASTAAAA!" There was a crash, and Arthur laughed joyfully as he saw a dazed Gilbert, Matthew and Feliciano sitting amidst cakes and other food items.

Alfred's eyes widened as they came to a stop at the lift, and he cracked up, holding onto Arthur for support. "Oh _Christ_… nice timing, bro!"

"Anytime, Al!" Mattie waved, a cake on his head, when his grin faded and he pointed wildly at a crowd of curious people. "Over there! Alfred, run!"

Arthur turned and saw none other then a very pissed looking Francis marching towards them. "Alfred…"

Alfred was pounding the button to the lift as fast as he could, yanking him inside the moment it arrived. "Go, go, _and go!_" He yelled at the lift operator, who looked at him in alarm.

"Please!" Arthur begged, sliding the gate across. "Take us as far down as you can!"

"Don't you _dare_ close that lift!" Francis screamed, breaking into a run and looking like a right positive lunatic. "_Arthur Kirkland_!"

Too late. The lift was moving downwards, and Francis crashed into the gate, shaking the bars and howling in rage, spittle practically flying from his mouth and landing amidst the stubble coating his face. Arthur and Alfred exchanged a glance as Francis reached through the bars like a criminal begging for food just beyond his reach, and burst out laughing.

"I dare!" Arthur shouted at him in between his uncontrollable chuckles. "You _motherfucker_!"

Together, they raised their middle fingers to the Frenchman, whom at this point looked like the world had come to an end. The moment the doors opened again, and Arthur had stammered an apology to the lift operator between gasps of laughter, they were off. Somehow they had ended up below the third level of decks and Arthur could smell smoke and fire up ahead. They must have been close to the engine room, and the sounds of gears and machinery echoed along the metal corridors that Alfred dragged him through.

"In here," Alfred said, pushing Arthur through a pair of sturdy looking steel doors. "Hurry!"

Everything was dark for a split second before Alfred flipped a switch and about half the fluorescent lights came on overhead. They were in the automobile hanger, and fancy models of all kinds were latched onto the floor by thick silver chains. Arthur had a moment to catch his breath before Alfred was tugging him through the hanger, eventually yanking open the door to a car and shoving him inside, following him closely behind.

"Don't you think we should have left the lights off?" Arthur giggled, gripping the leather seat tightly as Alfred peered through the tinted windows, breathing rapidly. "Ahahaha… they might find us!"

"There not gonna find us," Alfred looked away from the window and grinned at him, face flushed and sweaty. "Only some of the lights are on anyway."

This was true. In fact, Arthur could barely make out the form of Alfred as it was, his body silhouetted as a shadow with a sort of yellowish glow around him. He smiled back and their gazes met, emerald and blue finding each other in the darkness. A brief moment passed, and they were suddenly reaching for each other desperately, fumbling with skin and clothes as their bodies collided in the small space of the car.

(*) Arthur's hands wrapped around Alfred's torso instantly, fingers digging into his broad back, his mouth molding itself around Alfred's as the larger man pressed him back onto the seat of the car. His palms ran under Arthur's dress shirt and began undoing the buttons as fast as he could, sending shivers up the smaller man's spine and causing him to move his own hands to take off Alfred's collared one. They couldn't move fast enough, both of them already hard.

Alfred's hand came up and began stroking and rubbing against the pink bud on Arthur's chest, pinching it rolling it in between his fingers until Arthur was groaning and gasping under him, nails pressing into the bare, sweaty skin of his back. His lips traced down his jaw and licked at the sweat pooling at the base of his hairline, slowly and aggravatingly nipping the skin.

"D-Don't tease…" Arthur begged, tangling his fingers in Alfred's hair as he began sucking at a sensitive spot on his neck. "Ah-!"

Alfred broke away, licking the darkish mark to ease the sting, and Arthur moaned with pleasure. "It's not teasing," he said, his voice low and husky and sending a thrill though Arthur's body. "Not when I'm making love to you..."

Arthur whimpered in anticipation as Alfred leaned back over him and began working his other nipple while his lips found Arthur's again, tongue immediately prodding and sweeping around the hot cavern that was his mouth. Greedily they ate at each other, teeth only hitting each other once or twice, and the pain was forgotten almost immediately. Arthur's mind was a haze of emotion; he couldn't get enough. He wanted Alfred, _needed_ him like he needed air, and he couldn't wait much longer. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have to, as Alfred suddenly cupped his erection through his trousers.

"Alfred!" Arthur gasped, bucking his hips. "Alfred, _please_!"

Alfred growled, deep in his throat, and his fingers ran along the waistband of his pants before throwing them away completely and grasping Arthur's cock in his hands, pumping it steadily. Arthur moaned and thrust his hips up and down in time with Alfred's hand, desire spiking his blood, his breath coming in short gasps. He was gripping the seat tightly, so tightly he felt as though his nails were going to peel off when he stopped. Arthur let out a cry of loss until he saw that Alfred was desperately fumbling with his own pants, eyes glazed with lust.

"Let me…" Arthur breathed heavily, reaching for them and managing to slide them down over his thighs along with his undergarments. He sucked in a breath. Oh God… Alfred was _perfect_. His smooth, tan skin was sticky with sweat and as Arthur raked his eyes along his body, from his neck to his abdomen, he was well muscled and… and so well endowed. He almost felt ashamed of his own body, feeling suddenly skinny and too small… but Alfred didn't seem to think so. His eyes were looking at him like he was some sort of… of god. He blushed and looked away, feeling awkward, but then Alfred's chest met his own and his hands were running all over him again, pressing him back onto the leather seat of the car.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed into his ear, fingers going lower and lower, touching the sensitive skin and coarse curls around his navel. "And you're _mine_…"

"Yours," Arthur agreed, pulling back to look at him, running a hand through his golden hair. "Forever…"

Alfred's expression darkened to something feral, and he suddenly stuck his fingers in his face. "Suck," he demanded.

All too willing, Arthur did as he was told, taking Alfred's fingers into his mouth and running his tongue all over the slim digits, sucking and coating them with saliva. Alfred moaned sensually until taking them back and pressing one finger against Arthur's entrance, ever so slowly pushing in. It was uncomfortable, and Arthur bit his lip at the feeling, looking away.

"Relax," Alfred said soothingly, leaning over him and pressing small kisses along his neck. "It'll help."

Arthur did as he was told, and Alfred slowly stretched him, inserting another and murmuring in his ear as he struggled not to move. Suddenly, Alfred's fingers brushed against something that sent a spike of pleasure arching through his body, and he gasped, bucking into his finger. "O-Oh! Alfred!"

Alfred's face was twisted in concentration, but he smiled at Arthur in a way that made his heart melt. "Did that feel good?"

"Y-Yes…" Arthur wrapped his arms back around his neck and curled up into himself unintentionally as his prostate was touched again, unable to deal with such an amazing feeling. "A-Ahh… ngh... Alfred…!"

Alfred removed his fingers and grabbed his own member, straddling Arthur tightly, placing it at the tip of his entrance. "I promise to be careful…"

"I trust you," Arthur whispered, kissing his cheek softly.

Something changed in Alfred's blue eyes as he said those words, and then his length was inside of him, slowly straining against his muscles and sliding in such a way that had Arthur wanting more, but also wanting to shove him away. He gritted his teeth in pain, unaccustomed to such an intrusion, and gripped Alfred's neck tightly. The American's eyes were half-closed, his mouth slightly open as he breathed heavily, trying not to move for his own pleasure and waiting until Arthur had relaxed ever so slightly.

"Can I move?" His voice was low and raspy.

Arthur nodded, and Alfred began to thrust, very slowly and meaningfully. Almost too slowly, and both of them wanted more. The pace began to pick up, and the friction and pulsing heat inside of Arthur's body was beginning to drive him off the edge. He wanted Alfred in him deeper, wanted him to-

"Nnn!" Arthur gasped as Alfred hit his prostate, arms immediately tightening around his neck. "Do… do that again… ahh, please…"

Alfred shifted and rested his head on Arthur shoulder as he drove in deeper, striving for that place that had Arthur so wound up, and managed to hit it with each pump inside him. Arthur groaned loudly, aching for more, and latched his legs around Alfred's waist, driving his heels into his lower back to force him to move faster, harder, needing the feeling arching throughout him more then anything.

"Alfred...!" Arthur moaned, throwing his head back and digging his fingers into the skin on his sweaty shoulders. "Mmmm... hah... yes...! Oh, yes...! More, please... m-more..."

Alfred gritted his teeth, pulling his head away from Arthur's shoulder and increased his pace, looking down at him with glazed eyes. "Nnn... Arthur... you f-feel so good... ahh..."

Arthur scrambled for a hold on reality, for right now his entire world was Alfred, and the way they were connected together. He was aware that his mouth was open, streams of encouragements falling from it. "Nngh...! Al... Alfred... faster...! Mmn, oh, _God yes,_ more...!"

Everything was Alfred. Every part of him was touching him, everything he could smell- the hot, salty sweat and skin and sex- and the taste of his tongue, the sound of their hips slamming together with every rocking motion… everything was given to him by Alfred. Alfred _was_ this intoxicating feeling. He loved it, he loved _him_.

"Ngh, Arthur…" Alfred's voice was a throaty groan in his ear. "You're so tight… it's too good... I'm gonna… I can't hold back..."

Neither could he. Arthur couldn't form a sentence, but he moved his mouth to firmly capture Alfred's in a kiss, and they stayed connected like that through the final pumps of Alfred's hips until Arthur was driven over the edge, a strangled cry of pleasure echoing throughout the car, his back arching off the seat as he came. It only took that for Alfred to reach his own peak, and his voice was a vibration that tickled Arthur's throat. (*)

The both of them lay there, sweaty bodies sticking impossibly close together as they held each other tightly, kissing and catching their breath.

"Ah… Arthur…" Alfred nuzzled against his neck. "I... I love you…"

Arthur caught his breath and ran his fingers through Alfred's golden hair. "… Al… I love _you_…"

Alfred's cerulean eyes glimmered and they kissed softly and tenderly, and Arthur couldn't help but think: _This is perfect._

* * *

_A/N: And then the ship sank._

_That movie gets me everytime... and even though the whole Jack x Rose is really cheesy (*cough*romantic*cough*), I find myself crying at the parts with the little third class children being put to bed by their mom because she knows that they're going to die, and the old couple who lay in bed holding each other as the water rushes in, and just... just... AH! *sobs* I downloaded "Nearer My God to Thee" from the soundtrack to my MP3 player the other day, because the violins are just gorgeous, but I cry when I hear it, so... does that count as masochistic?_

_Anyway. For those who don't know: 'lemonade' is my personal term for 'lemon', as I mentioned at the top of the page. Lemonade is the same as lemon, but it's not just sex. It's making love. For me, writing scenes with detail that are so close and intimate between characters, there MUST be love, or I won't write detail. I think sex is a beautiful thing, whether it's with a man and woman, two men, or two women, and it's something you share with a lifetime partner. Maybe that makes me naive, but I don't mind; I like my mindset better then thinking that all relations are purely physical. :)_

_If you've seen the movie "Titanic" recently (I saw it in 3D: SUCKERSSSS), then you'll know that this doesn't follow the order of the plot. This is intentional, FYI, so please don't review saying, "You beotch, this ain't right!" because then I'll be like: "D:" and I dun wanna be saaaaaad..._

_Read and review! (I know you people read this- I have eleven alerts so far, and nine favs. If you really want to make me happy, leave a quick review. Just a smiley face would make me happy! Truly!)_


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